Flying Through Life
by AmiraStarr
Summary: When Olivia Davis entered the Dumping Ground, she was treated like any other child. The only problem is, she is far from an average child. Can the kids and care workers survive a little dose of danger and adventure in their lives? Or will the forces hiding in plain sight acquire their prize? Find out the answers to these questions and more in, "Flying Through Life".


**Disclaimer: I do not own The Tracy Beaker shows or The Dumping Ground.**

**I do claim ownership of Olivia and my future original characters who will be brought out later in the story. I am not from the United Kingdom, so I might be a little rusty when it comes to English slang. I am working on acquiring a beta reader who will help me create a more authentic feel. Also, a thank you to Mr. Zeze who has been a big help!**

**Thank you for your time and here is the first installment:**

* * *

As the wheels on the bottom of the plane exited their hiding places and touched the paved runway, the small girl in business class peered out her window at a country she hardly knew but was legally bound to. Between the puffy grey clouds vying for space in the sky, she could spot a few tall buildings and various English landmarks. Pulling her knees under her gave the little girl a better view and allowed her to stick her face against the cool window glass.

"Don't do that Olivia," Miss Maiston, who described herself as the world's cheeriest social worker, gently pulled the girl back from the window and attempted to wipe the smudges from the glass.

"First time on a plane little lady?" The businessman seated adjacent to Miss Maiston offered the child a smile and tried to avoid looking at the large plaster on her forehead.

"She is just excited to see England for the first time." Maiston butted in before Olivia could respond to the question.

For a woman who claimed to be dedicated to helping the child make the transition into her new life easy, Miss Maiston didn't seem to value anything Olivia had to say on the matter. Since their initial pairing, two days prior, the woman had never stopped talking about how successful she was at placing foster kids with difficulties. It had never dawned on the ten-year-old that she had any kind of difficulty. At least, not a difficulty someone like Miss Maiston would be aware of.

As soon as the stewards alerted the passengers it was safe to exit the plane, Maiston slipped out of her seatbelt and began to usher her charge with great urgency. She kept a firm grip on the child's hand and allowed Olivia only a few fleeting moments to examine the airport grounds. None of the restaurant names appeared familiar and the Texas flag she knew had been replaced by a design she had never seen before. Olivia paused in front of one of the souvenir shops and stared at the merchandise inside.

"You know what," Miss Maiston smiled down at the child and plucked a small flag from the display. "Now that you are a part of this great land, you should have something special to celebrate."

While the woman paid for the miniature flag, Olivia twirled the piece in her hand delicately. It still seemed strange to hear people say that she was part of a country she didn't know about. For ten long years her mother had raised her in Texas with no mention of England. As far as Olivia knew, she was a Texan. But after the event, she was no longer who she thought she was. Every adult dressed in their stiff business suits had seen fit to remind her that she was born in England not America. So until the day she reached adulthood, she would have to live in her natural country under the care of an official guardian. Honestly, it had all been nonsense words to the child, all she cared about was the fact she didn't have a mother or a home anymore.

"Now you will be staying in a lovely care home called Elm Tree…"

Maiston's speech began and Olivia's ears tuned each word out. Why the woman couldn't grasp the fact the girl needed time to sit down and take everything in was beyond her. They had been moving non-stop for the past day and the child desperately needed a chance to sit down and sleep. Then again, she hadn't been able to sleep in America so why would England be any different? Each time her blue eyes closed behind their long lashes images of the horrible night filled her mind. It had all happened so quickly and yet it is was completely final. How could someone she had cared for and loved be taken so quickly? And how could she have played such a role in the destruction of their happy life together?

"Olivia?" Maiston shook the girl's shoulder and pointed to the awaiting black car. "We need to get on our way. Please, stop dawdling."

The child crawled into the strange vehicle and buckled herself into the seat farthest from her caretaker. Maiston missed the non-verbal sign of discomfort and placed herself directly next to her charge. Olivia sighed softly and looked out her window to try and think of something other then her current situation. Luckily for her, it was easy to lose herself in the beautiful landscape surrounding the roadways. Living in the desert regions of Texas had robbed her from seeing plant life that was not covered in spikes. Unlike the yellow grass that drooped under the intense Texas sun, the grass in this country stood tall and was covered in the deepest green color she had ever seen.

The clouds above let out a small shower of rain that didn't seem to bother most of the people walking on the sidewalks. A few adults popped open their umbrellas open while the children merely quickened their pace. The rare rainstorms that had graced Olivia's Texas hometown had always been a celebrated event. During the hundred degree temperatures a freak rainstorm would sometimes appear on the horizon. Her mother had always run into the cooling water and danced like a fool, bringing her daughter along for the ride. It was silly, childish, embarrassing, and something Olivia dearly missed.

"Don't worry about the rain." Maiston butted in after misinterpreting the girl's growing frown. "We can get you a pair of wellies when we pick up your school uniform."

"What's a wellie?"

The woman's thin eyebrows rose in surprise, "They are a type of shoe. You wear the-"

"Excuse me," The driver busted the culture clash and brought their attention to the front of the car. "We're here."

"Brilliant." Maiston perked up and began to usher the child out of the car with great urgency. "Come, Olivia. Remember that we mustn't dawdle."

While the adults busied themselves with pulling Olivia's two suitcases from the trunk, the child stood awkwardly in the light rain with her hands tightly gripped on the straps of her backpack. The matching suitcases held the few materialistic possessions the girl was able to bring from Texas, mainly clothing bought at various second hand shops and a few toiletries. Inside the purple backpack she clung so tightly to were her real treasures. Photo albums, an ancient message machine tape with her mother's voice on it, and various trinkets of importance had been stashed away in the bag.

Once Maiston had settled with the cab driver, she motioned for Olivia to follow her once again. The building in front of them was tall, though not quite as tall as Olivia preferred. It looked nothing like the drab orphanages she had seen in various cartoons and movies. In fact, the building looked almost homey to the child. Even the front door was painted a vibrant color that enticed visitors to approach.

After a strong bang from Maiston's fist, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with a receding hairline. He smiled at the girls warmly, spending a little longer on his smile directed at Olivia. Which secretly pleased the child. Unlike Maiston's designer pantsuit, the stranger wore a grey sweatshirt and a pair of light blue jeans. Every aspect of the man seemed to ooze kindness and approachability, unlike Maiston who merely oozed.

"Hello," His smile grew a little wider, "I'm Mike Milligan. You must be Olivia and Miss Maiston?"

"Please. Call me Chloe, Mr. Milligan." The woman fluttered her short eyelashes and acted like a lovesick puppy.

Mike nodded his head curtly but did not return the flirtatious gestures, "And you can call me Mike. That goes for you too, Olivia."

The child nodded slowly and stepped into the care home with a bit of trepidation. From a few rooms away came the sound of a television and the clanking of balls on a pool table. Part of her had expected to see some sign of children when they entered the home, but there didn't appear to be any other humans nearby. Toys littered the entryway and peered out at the trio from their various hiding places. At least the place was not as stark and cold as the hospital she had stayed in after the incident. If she was lucky, they might even let her play with the trinkets.

As the group entered the care worker's office, Olivia's opinion of the building faltered slightly. Maiston sat her on a chair against the wall then busied herself with the paperwork Mike handed out. Unlike the front of the house, this room was painted a dull color and housed nothing but various pieces of office furniture and computers. As far as the child could figure, it was probably some kind of schoolroom for the kids.

In the middle of signing a rather large stack of paperwork, Maiston's phone began to let out a loud chime noise. She yanked the device out of her pocket and frowned at the caller id, "I really need to take this call. Will you excuse me for a moment?"

"Yes, that is fine. Take all the time you need." Once she left the room, Mike turned towards one of the filing cabinets and began searching for something. "I know you will enjoy staying here Olivia. Do you go by Olivia or a nickname? Liv, Ollie, or something els-"

"Mike!" A teenaged boy busted into the room and stood with his back towards Olivia, "Tee said you are making her share with the new kid."

"Johnny, I _asked _Tee if she would mind sharing her room and she said it would be fin-"

"It's not fair!" Johnny protested and flailed his arms in annoyance, "After all the trouble with Mo you are going to make her hang out with another nutter?!"

"Johnny." Mike chastised the boy with a stern tone of voice and pointed behind him. "No one here, old or new, is a nutter."

As Johnny turned around to face the new resident, a little guilt flooded his face and left his cheeks with a slightly rosy hue.

"Hi." Olivia mumbled softly and offered a small wave.

"I… uh," The boy shifted awkwardly as he tried to come up with something to say.

"I think you owe Olivia an apology, Johnny." Mike's gaze remained steady, but he did not resort to yelling or physically reprimanding the child. Which proved once more, to Olivia, that this place was different from the orphan homes she saw in movies.

"Sorry." Johnny's tone was softer, but he seemed unable to look her in the eyes.

"No prob." She nodded her head and watched as Mike redirected the situation by sending Johnny to gather the rest of the kids for a house meeting.

"Well," Once they were alone again, Mike knelt in front of her and offered another sweet smile, "How about we get you settled in your new room before you meet the rest of the kids?"

"You must be Olivia." A deep female voice brought the duo's attention to the doorway. The woman standing next to Maiston, who Mike addressed as Gina, was tall and a little heavyset. Her kind eyes gave the little girl a sense of comfort she hadn't felt in quite a while.

"Would you like to come with me to see your room, babes?" Gina's warm hand wrapped around Olivia's before slowly leading her out of the office.

**XXX**

House meetings had been a staple during Mike's childhood days. Although both of his parents worked long hours and his siblings had plenty of after school events, his mother and father forced the entire household to stay connected through weekly meetings. There had been tears, anger, laughter, and most importantly memories and a sense of belonging. It had been those positive memories that inspired him to follow his parents' lead and use house meetings with the kids in the care home. Of course, looking at the faces of everyone gathered around the various pieces of furniture in the telly room he wasn't sure they shared his good feelings.

"Will this take long Mike?" Mo, with his lopsided shirt collar and jam stained face, spoke up first. "I was going to search for some more treasure in the bins by the garden."

"Mo, that is full of weeds and rotten vegetables from the garden. Do not go digging around in it, please." Mike mentally counted the kids and came up short, "Where are Faith and Elektra?"

A loud thud from upstairs answered Mike's question and forced a small sigh out of the man. These kids were his proudest achievement, but even angels had their bad days. When it came to Elektra, those bad days seemed rather common. A few grumbles and yells could be heard from the stairs, before the two girls waltzed into the room with bloodthirsty expressions aimed at each other.

"Thank you for joining us girls." Mike greeted them as Faith sat on the couch and Elektra, defiant as ever, stationed herself a few feet away from the group.

"What is it Mike?" She twirled a blue strand of hair and sighed impatiently, "Some of us have things to do."

"It wouldn't take as long if you would let him speak." Faith shot back with lowered brows and a stern frown.

"Time out, time out," Mike held up his hands and tried to regain some type of order. "Look, I called a meeting because I wanted to let you know that we have a new person in the house."

"Alert the papers! A new person in a care home. My, isn't that major news?" Elektra mocked Mike with a sarcastic smile.

"I am telling you this because Olivia may need your help."

Elektra rolled her eyes, "This place is like a magnet for nutters."

"Who else is a nutter?" Mo piped up with innocent curiosity.

"No one," Faith wrapped an arm around his shoulder and ignored the grin on her roommates face. "No one here is a nutter."

"Takes one to know o-"

"Elektra." Mike stopped her in mid-sentence and turned to face the rest of the children, "Olivia is from America. She hasn't been in England since she was a baby, so it may take her a while to get used to things here. I know that I do not need to remind you that each of you were new once. I am sure you know how Olivia feels."

"If you don't have to remind us then why are you still saying it?"

The last straw of Mike's patience broke and he turned his attention back to the blue haired teen, "Elektra, I believe we need to have a chat in my office."

**XXX**

Olivia sorted through the various pieces of clothing in her suitcase and tried to decide if she should hang them up or leave them in the cases. How long did people stay in these places anyway? The only thing she had to compare this place to had already been proven wrong on multiple counts.

"Hello," A soft voice entered the noises of the room and brought Olivia's attention to the doorway, "I'm Tee Taylor, your roommate."

Tee was short with dirty blonde hair and bright eyes. She walked into the room, leaving the door open behind her, and sat on the opposite bed. Judging from the girl's constantly moving eyes, Olivia figured she was trying to avoid staring at the plaster on her forehead. That medical supply was the last piece of evidence that proved the event had happened and Olivia was more then ready to get rid of it.

"Nice to meet ya. I'm Olivia Davis." Olivia adjusted the backpack still on her shoulders and stood awkwardly across from Tee. "How long have you been in the orphanage?"

"This isn't an orphanage. It's a care home."

"Are they different?" Asked Olivia with genuine curiosity.

"Well, there aren't really orphanages anymore. Some of the kids in care homes don't have their parents anymore or don't know where they are, but others are just here because their parents couldn't cope for a little while."

The child nodded and wondered how many people were in the no family at all category. As far as she knew, that was the category she belonged in. Although her mother was gone, she possibly had a dad out there somewhere. Her mother had never said anything about her father, but she had to have had one at some point. Maiston had said that he was from England, but if he was alive in England wouldn't he have come to get her?

"Hello Olivia," A tall girl with light brown skin popped her head in the room, "I'm Faith. I thought you and Tee might like to come try some of Gina's biscuits with the rest of us."

"Biscuits? Olivia blinked in surprise and looked at her wristwatch, "You eat biscuits at 3 in the afternoon?"

"Not another Gus." A boy with a small afro hairstyle groaned and walked past the room.

"Don't mind Tyler." Faith motioned for the girls to follow her out of the room, "I know you will love these."

"Do you put gravy on them?" Olivia's question earned a small look of surprise from Tee.

"You eat them with gravy?"

For the first, and definitely not the last time, Olivia felt a wave of embarrassment and alienation wash over her. She bit her bottom lip and mumbled, "Well my mom made them sometimes when she wanted a big southern breakfast and she always made them with gravy."

"Oh," Faith saved her by offering a kind smile and mini-explanation, "You mean the American kind of biscuit? One of my teachers visited family in America last year and told our class about some of the vocabulary differences."

A smile grew on the child's face as Tee and Faith lifted her over the first cultural difference with ease.

"How dare you plant water balloons in my bed!" Elektra had Tyler cornered in the hallway and seemed to have multiple wet spots on her blouse.

"It wasn't my fault you popped them all!" The young boy tried desperately to find a way to escape without being tackled by the older girl.

Luckily for the boy, Faith stepped in and attempted to calm the blue haired teen down. Their voices escalated as Elektra was shoved aside by a parade of small children running into the hall. The leader of the pack, a boy with bright blonde hair and a shirt with a cartoon giraffe, held up his make shift spyglass triumphantly. The two followers, a messy boy in glasses and a fellow red head girl, smiled excitedly at his gesture and began to examine a crumpled piece of paper. From another room down the hallway, a three-legged dog came running to the crowd. He knocked into Tyler and Faith and sent them stumbling backwards. The two girls who came out of the room after the dog tripped over the three explorers and knocked into Elektra.

The noise of the room began to escalate to an intolerable level and Olivia covered her ears in an attempt to shut out the sound. She could feel the beginnings of a powerful movement race through her veins. This was all so unfortunately familiar to the ten-year-old. She let go of her ears and attempted to step back from the crowd before something bad happened. The dog charged forward once more forcing the kids to tumble like dominos. Olivia was almost out of range, but Tyler's head hit her left foot as he fell to the ground. The girl stumbled back and felt her shoulder hit the wall with light force.

Olivia opened her eyes, unaware of when she had shut them, and found each child in the pile staring at her in surprise. A small blush coated her cheeks as she turned to the side and discovered that her shoulder had punctured the wall and left a nice sized hole. There was no wound on her skin when she pulled her shoulder from the plaster, making Tyler let out a low whistle of surprise.

"What is going on up here?" A worried Mike raced up the stairs and found the kids struggling to get up from their pile on the floor. "Are you okay Olivia?"

"Yeah," She didn't need the assistance, since nothing was hurt or sore, but the girl let Mike and Faith help pull her away from the wall.

"It's an old house. I'll have to get someone to look at the walls and make sure they are safe." Mike let go of her once she was standing safely to the side and tried to help the smaller kids up. "As long as you are all okay, that is what's important."

Elektra raised one eyebrow in confusion and watched as Mike ushered the entire group downstairs. There was something wrong with this entire situation. She stared at the hole in the wall and felt the surrounding pieces. Nothing felt soft from the touch of rot or termites. How could a skinny little girl break a wall so easily and not have any injuries?

"Whoa!" Johnny and Frank entered the hallway and stood on either side of Elektra. "Mike's going to be mad when he sees this. How'd you do it Elektra?"

"I didn't do it."

"Then who did?" Asked Frank as he touched the broken wall.

"The new girl."

"Olivia?" Johnny laughed, "You really think Mike will believe that tiny kid made this hole?"

"Not only did she make this hole, but she didn't even get hurt."

"How did she do that?" Johnny's curiosity began to grow as he tired to imagine a scenario that would allow such events.

"That is exactly what I am going to figure out…"


End file.
